Does it really cost £121 to register as a sole trader?

Milky_Mocha

Hi. I just started to register a business on this site: http://www.start.biz/business_name

and they want to charge me £121 which includes £25 for using their address as a service address. Is this the official route to registering as a sole trader or was I about to be conned?

Lomast

Its not exactly a scam but its not far off, It doesnt cost anything to become a sole trader you just need to inform HMRC. Obviously if you want/need a service address that will cost some money but most people just use their home address

Mrs_Huggett

You don't need to register with anyone as such, only inform HMRC by phone or online. you nearly got done there! I had a blonde moment a while back and sort of looked at a couple of sites to register my business name, but as I have the domain name registered and have a web site up and running now there really was no need to register with these companies. Someone else should be along to explain further for you hopefully.

Mrs_Huggett

Just to add that Lomast is right, you just use your home address for contact purposes, bit different for me as I produce things to sell and hire at home, and store my stock here too, which is for hire. (Vintage styled events and upcycled things in case you're wondering)

anamenottaken

Milky_Mocha wrote: »

Hi. I just started to register a business on this site: http://www.start.biz/business_name

and they want to charge me £121 which includes £25 for using their address as a service address. Is this the official route to registering as a sole trader or was I about to be conned?

Yes, you would have spent (lost) £121 unnecessarily.

Milky_Mocha

PHEW!!

Thanks guys!
Gosh I kept thinking that surely, in the same way that companies register with Companies House, sole traders register on some sort of UK business registry. I trawled the threads on here and could find nothing other than HMRC as you say.

I imagine HMRC will charge something.

I like the idea of using a service address as opposed to my home address because I would not be having people over, LOL!

I'm so glad I didn't take that plunge. I almost feel like I've just saved myself £121...!

Kayalana99

Milky_Mocha wrote: »

PHEW!!

Thanks guys!
Gosh I kept thinking that surely, in the same way that companies register with Companies House, sole traders register on some sort of UK business registry. I trawled the threads on here and could find nothing other than HMRC as you say.

I imagine HMRC will charge something.

I like the idea of using a service address as opposed to my home address because I would not be having people over, LOL!

I'm so glad I didn't take that plunge. I almost feel like I've just saved myself £121...!

No HMRC don't charge you anything either.

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/sa/understand-online.htm

https://online.hmrc.gov.uk/registration/newbusiness/introduction

sequence

HMRC don't charge.

Wywth

Milky_Mocha wrote: »

Hi. I just started to register a business on this site: [link removed]
and they want to charge me £121 which includes £25 for using their address as a service address. Is this the official route to registering as a sole trader or was I about to be conned?

As others say, it costs nothing to register as a sole trader with HMRC

It will cost you to use someone else's address, but why do you need to? If so, have you looked at any alternatives?

If you want to succeed in business, never accept the first quote you are offered/given/find

Ballymackeonan

If you are using a business name, you need to be sure that it can't be confused with anyone else's - especially before getting stationery and/or a website set up, in case they go to a solicitor and get a letter demanding you change your name. Usually a web search will show if there are similar names in your area.

Our enterprise agency, which provides rented units for businesses, used to rent out a few mailboxes in the administration office - as "unit 10a" or something similar, for about £10 per month - you just called in for your mail. Possibly you can find something like that locally?

Mistral001

These people play upon the urban myth that a business needs to be registered.